Ben Affleck admits ‘massive embarrassment’ after Oscars snub for directing Argo

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Ben Affleck recently talked about how incredibly embarrassing it was to be overlooked for a directing Oscar despite the success of his film, Argo.

The 53-year-old actor and director recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he recalled the disappointment of not being nominated for Best Director in 2013, despite his film winning Best Picture.

The nominees for Best Director that year were Ang Lee for Life of Pi, Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, Michael Haneke for Amour, and Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild. Ang Lee eventually won the Oscar.

Affleck explained that everyone kept telling him he would be nominated for a directing award that year, which he found unsettling, as he shared with Jimmy Kimmel.

So, I woke up that morning, and as expected – it wasn’t different from any other morning when I hadn’t been nominated for Best Director – I suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed. I found out people were saying I hadn’t received a nomination.

He remembered being swarmed by reporters at the Critics Choice Awards. “It felt like everyone wanted to ask me about the snub,” he said. “Every single reporter started with, ‘Hi, what’s your reaction to not being nominated?’ It was disappointing, honestly.”

Even though there was an embarrassing incident, Affleck had a great night overall. He won the Best Director award for Argo at the Critics’ Choice Awards, surpassing Steven Spielberg (for Lincoln) and Kathryn Bigelow (for Zero Dark Thirty).

‘This negative event turns into a positive,’ Affleck said of the dramatic turnaround.

Kimmel, however, argued that the situation was far worse than Affleck let on.

He called it possibly the strangest award-show moment ever, saying the situation was being downplayed. He pointed out that Ben Affleck’s film, Argo, won Best Picture, but he himself wasn’t nominated for either Best Director or Best Actor – it was like the movie made itself, he joked.

Affleck admitted that he ‘felt’ exactly the same way at the time.

Argo received seven Academy Award nominations, recognizing Alan Arkin’s performance, the original score, and both sound mixing and editing. It ultimately won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Kimmel mentioned during the interview that he’d pictured Ben Affleck when he saw Leonardo DiCaprio lose the Best Actor award to Timothée Chalamet at the Critics’ Choice Awards the previous night.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s film, One Battle After Another, won the top prizes for Best Picture and Best Director at the awards ceremony.

Kimmel playfully remarked that Leonardo DiCaprio seemed to have much better options for where he could be. He then pointed out the irony of the film winning Best Picture and the director, Paul Thomas Anderson, being nominated but not winning Best Director.

Honestly, I can’t stop picturing how furious he must’ve been! Imagine having to abandon everything – I heard it was stuff flown in from his yacht, can you believe it? – and just leave. He didn’t come here to participate, he came here to win, and something clearly messed that up. It’s just… frustrating for me even thinking about it!

Ben Affleck recently revisited the time he was overlooked by the Oscars during an interview on The Howard Stern Show in 2021, and confessed that most actors who say they don’t mind not winning one are likely being disingenuous.

Everyone kept telling me I had it in the bag! It wasn’t just about getting a nomination, they were absolutely certain I was going to win. They said it was a done deal, a sure thing – I was a ‘lock,’ as they put it.

He explained how upset he was after seeing the nominations announced that morning, and that he’d told the studio bosses he was done with trying to impress people during awards season.

You know, when it comes to creative projects, it’s tough when things don’t go as you hoped. Honestly, I felt a little stung when I wasn’t recognized for my work on the film, but at the end of the day, everyone has their own perspective, and I respect that. I’m incredibly proud of the movie itself, and that’s what really matters. It just felt a bit disappointing to be overlooked, that’s all.

The actor also described the Critics’ Choice Awards red carpet as incredibly long, saying it felt like ‘the longest red carpet ever.’

Oh my god, it was everywhere we went! Seriously, people didn’t even need to ask a full question, they’d just shove a microphone in his face and yell, “So, did getting overlooked really upset you?” And he had to act like it didn’t even phase him, like it didn’t bother him at all! Can you imagine? Like, heaven forbid he show any real emotion! It was awful to watch, honestly. He’s so good at pretending, but I could tell it was getting to him.

Even though he was feeling stressed, Affleck surprisingly took home the Best Director award. He playfully acknowledged the win in his speech, joking, ‘I’d like to thank the Academy—just kidding! This is the award that really matters.’ He then admitted he’d simply stopped caring about the criticism surrounding his previous Oscar acceptance speech, saying, ‘I just didn’t care anymore.’

He said winning Best Picture for Argo at the Oscars was gratifying, but he decided he wouldn’t let awards define his success going forward. He explained, ‘It meant something to me, obviously, but I’m not gonna make this my measure of worth anymore.’

Ben Affleck has continued to establish himself as a director, following his previous films like Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Town (2010), and Live By Night (2016). This work has solidified his standing as a filmmaker, separate from his acting career.

He most recently directed and starred in the 2023 film Air, a biography about Nike’s historic deal with Michael Jordan. He also produced the film with his frequent collaborator, Matt Damon.

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2026-01-06 19:51